Alkis Thrassou

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Nicosia

This research examines how employees’ locus of control moderates the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and intention to quit when assessing the mediation effects of counterproductive work behaviour and work engagement. A quantitative method (survey) was used for this study, with 348 questionnaires completed online. The research r...

Purpose The factors that determine economic development, and their interrelationships and contextualization, have diachronically concerned policymakers across governments and organizations. Among these, the level of education, inequalities and other external factors strongly influence economic development and naturally lie at the epicenter of evolv...

Purpose The research identifies the causal pathways between SMEs’ innovation, digitalization and international performance of SMEs. It particularly explores the determinant of innovation and digitalization within Lebanese SMEs. Design/methodology/approach This research employed the SEM (structural equational modelling) technique to explore the lin...

The increasing frequency of natural catastrophes and other disasters has underscored the importance of resilience as a core competence for smart cities so that they efficiently manage unforeseen crises. The increasing recognition of resilience in the context of smart cities leads to examining the role and context for the role of the “Smart City Res...

Purpose The paper aims to interpret sustainable regional development (SRD) as an exchange ecosystem in which stakeholders provide reciprocal access to resources, benefiting both individual and systemic levels. This paper suggests that knowledge, as a shared and value-transcribed critical resource, nourishes a community’s motivational system (CMS),...

Purpose This paper aims to study, understand and elucidate the digital transformation of retail banks in the UAE, and to identify its key components and their interrelationship. The paper further proposes theoretical and executive directions of international worth and application, particularly in Asian countries of comparable business contexts. De...

The rise of growth hacking, fuelled by big data analytics, poses a challenge for scholars and executives alike, with limited research at their intersection. This article aims to fill the knowledge gap by focusing on the integration of big data analytics and growth hacking. Extant theory suggests that incorporating big data cultivates marketing ambi...

Understanding the role of personal remittances in economic development is crucial, particularly for countries like Lebanon, where these inflows play a significant role in economic stability. This study investigates the impact of personal remittances on Lebanon’s economic development over the period from 2002 to 2022, employing a mixed-methods appro...

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) plays a pivotal role in achieving decarbonization within the transportation sector. However, the widespread adoption of EVs faces multifaceted challenges, particularly concerning infrastructure development. This paper investigates the intersection of sustainability, decarbonization, and EV adoption, with a...

Urban and peri-urban forests (UPUFs) are essential components of urban landscapes that offer multiple benefits to local communities, above all to those who live in large cities. This realization has fueled the interest of the scientific community in understanding citizens’ attitudes and perceptions towards UPUFs, focusing on the diverse ecosystem s...

In this research, we aim to explore how individuals with disabilities approach travel using the Health Belief Model (HBM). By looking at their views on susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy, we aim to understand how these factors shape their travel plans and actions. Travel and tourism play a significant rol...

The paper applies the farm accountancy data network (FADN) approach to conduct a comparison analysis of the revenue of EU fruit producers. The study constitutes a significant contribution to the requisite development of more accurate metrics and appropriate approaches, which are necessary for assessing the economic success of EU fruit production in...

The dynamic nature of existing business environments necessitates organisations to cope with and manage various forms of uncertainty, deriving from factors such as technological advancements, global events, and market shifts. Environmental uncertainty, incorporating political, economic, and technological dimensions, presents challenges and opportun...

Purpose This research addresses the critical challenge of fostering customer loyalty within the highly competitive landscape of the insurance industry. The study investigates the interplay between customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the influence of technology and service quality in the context of insurance services and in periods of crisis. Desig...

This article empirically explores the potential for enhancing sustainability through football, leveraging the sport’s widespread popularity and influence. Football functions in a dynamic, multi-stakeholder context, and this inevitably entails a wide range of challenges and considerations for all the industry actors. Football clubs and related entit...

Non-profit entities are described as social institutions that do not operate for profit but instead focus on fostering social well-being and meeting needs that for-profit organizations may be unable to provide. The growth of technology appears to have an impact on their operation, however not to the extent expected by institutions dealing with phil...

Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) play a crucial role in enhancing communities and the well-being of its inhabitants, thus serving the greater good. Therefore, NPOs have an essential reason of existence in the society. But, despite their significance, NPOs confront the difficulty of persuading the public that they effectively oversee the funding they...

Non-profit organisations (NPOs) operate within a multifaceted environment and are crucial in tackling societal challenges in various industries. Yet they encounter a dynamic and demanding environment due to economic fluctuations, global crises, technological advancements, and alterations to regulations. In this conceptual chapter, we investigate ho...

Purpose This study evaluates the economic effectiveness of higher education in Lithuania by measuring returns to investment in higher education for both individual university graduates and the state, particularly aiming to discover how higher education investments impact economic returns at both micro (individual) and macro (national) levels. Desi...

The purpose of this study is to explore the evolving nature of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), focusing on their strategic, managerial, and marketing advancements. The objective is to examine how NPOs have transitioned into key players in public service delivery while interacting, liaising and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholder-groups....

Drawing on the findings collected through mixed methods, the current chapter examines non-profit organizations in India. More specifically, the study explores NPOs opportunities and challenges, along with best practices concerning the adoption and management of donors, funds, and programs. The study focused on practical research problems in the fie...

The shadow economy’s size and impact remain subjects of extensive research and debate, holding significant implications for economic policy and social welfare. In Lebanon, the ongoing crisis since 2019 has exacerbated severe economic challenges, with the national currency’s collapse, bank crisis, and foreign reserve deficits. The World Bank reports...

The aim of this study is to analyze and synthesize the key challenges that are prevalent in the application of blockchain in accounting and auditing, to study the approaches to account for cryptocurrencies, to study the effect of blockchain on the accounting and auditing profession, and to identify the current direction of research of blockchain in...

The aim of this chapter is to give a general overview of the production costs, and incomes of EU farms specialised in cereal production, based on the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The FADN technique has been used to compare a number of metrics in order to analyse the financial performance of European production. Farm net value added (FNVA),...

Global issues like climate change, sustainability, inequality, and food poverty are driving significant changes in the agri-food industry. The paradigms of Agriculture and Industry 4.0, technology improvements, and changing consumer preferences, all call for a re-evaluation of management practices, internal collaboration, and customer relationships...

A suitable system for monitoring and evaluating processes must exist for the agri-food industry to see better results. This system’s tasks include locating the variables that are limiting the production activities in this industry and based on a comprehensive analysis of the situation, planning suitable and timely improvements to the production pro...

This chapter aims to offer insight into the recent technological, societal and channel research advancements in agribusiness. More in detail the study introduces the concept of sustainability and potential application in agribusiness and explores the role of technology in the transition process towards more sustainable approaches. A specific focus...

Purpose Amidst ongoing digital transformation, the current paper provides a 360-degree overview of technology-adoption in Tourism and Hospitality. By combining and consolidating a wide range of sources, mainly in the tourism literature, the analysis depicts how the complex technological ecosystem often enhances or hinders the successful adoption, i...

The interplay between strategy and environmental analysis is pivotal in the realm of sports. Strategic decisions within sports organisations are profoundly influenced by an astute assessment of the external environment. This involves scrutinising factors such as competitive landscape, technological advancements, regulatory shifts, and fan preferenc...

Purpose Football exists and evolves in a dynamic ecosystem, displaying a massive and multidimensional influence on most contemporary societies, and football has grown into a significant industry with a plethora of stakeholders. This research is the first to comprehensively identify the key industry stakeholders and their distinct value, from the in...

In the fast-paced digital economy, stakeholders across regions, industries and organisational typologies are recognising the growing significance of adopting customer-centric digital strategies. Inexorably, this necessitates the comprehension of consumer behaviours across a diverse customer spectrum, including individuals with disabilities (PwD). I...

Young farmers are ready to embrace innovation, smart agriculture, and science-based research to ensure that their work has long-term viability, profitability, and productivity. To prevent the farming population from aging and to ensure farming success, financial support must be provided through instruments that are specifically aimed at young farme...

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish high-quality papers that elucidate the multifaceted ways in which sports organizations, events, athletes, and stakeholders, can embrace their role as catalysts for positive social change, as well as the corresponding issues, challenges, and potentialities.

The concept of sustainability has become a fundamental consideration at various levels and functions of a business as it deals with economic, social and environmental impacts. A successful sustainable business often requires continuous effort in replacing existing practices with new models and approaches. In the long term, business sustainability c...

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 disrupts everyday life and has severe consequences on global business. Within this critical context, this chapter examines the impact of COVID-19 on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in Cyprus. By using a thematic analysis, the study conducted an in-depth examination of twenty-three companies in Cypru...

In drylands, the agriculture sector’s capacity to respond to climatic hazards is minimal. Crop modeling and determining the economic consequences of the impact of climate change are noticeably insufficient. To create respectable livelihoods in rural regions based on agriculture and sustainable dryland systems, the youth require education in this fi...

Dryland climate change continues to present serious dangers, that are becoming worse, to rural livelihoods and young people’s prospects for obtaining stable occupations. Sustainable development is crucial for the realisation of economic and environmental development and the building of an innovative and participatory social and economic situation....

Businesses are transforming themselves rapidly by following sustainable practices as environmental and societal aspects are becoming highly prominent in the business world. Within this ever-changing context, theoretical and practical approaches, including innovation and process improvement, aim at unravelling environmental concerns. Execution of in...

Purpose Over the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in incivility within the higher education sector, potentially due to mounting pressure and demands on academics, both collectively and individually. The effects on various aspects of academia, such as knowledge and learning, however, remain largely unexplored. The purpose of t...

Purpose The research empirically examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) integrated with social customer relationship management (SCRM) in multinational enterprises (MNEs) towards international relationship management under social distancing conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study initially undertak...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to systematically examine and organize the literature that has explored the effects of several environmental conditions (ECs) on mergers and acquisitions (M&As), in particular highlighting the increasing role of protectionism. Design/methodology/approach The systematic literature review methodology was applied...

The primary objective of this study is the development of an integrated framework for sustainable development in agri-food Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a variety of production types. Dealing with the significant research problem of defining a successful record-keeping system, as this is the foundation of an integrated information framew...

Big data-driven innovation gains momentum in the developing world by tackling grand challenges and making a pronounced and lasting impact. However, research has still not answered the key question regarding the dimensions of big poverty data analytics (BPDA) capabilities for creative service offerings nor their effects on economic and social outcom...

The integration of online digital technology has revolutionised the processes of creating, promoting, delivering, and consuming sports. The goal of this paper was to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the key factors that influence favourable consumer behaviour in the context of sport sponsorship, specifically in an online setting. The curren...

Due to ever-changing business context, researchers and academicians revisit established theories to examine their validity underdifferent evolving scenarios. Therefore, this study aims to examine the cross-functional capabilities of the organizations by revisiting the resource-based view (RBV) theory, especially focusing on thepost-COVID-19 period....

Literature on nation branding is heterogeneous and varies significantly, not only in terminological terms but also in theoretical approaches and practical application. This paper aims to conduct an extensive exploratory study that empirically develops a comprehensive nation brand framework for Palestine, with international applications as well. De...

This book was inadvertently published with the incorrect author’s first and family name in chapter 5 as Schinzel Ursula and chapter 12 as Tirrel Henning. It has been updated to Ursula Schinzel and Henning Tirrel in chapters 5 and 12 respectively.

Technology transforms rapidly nearly every aspect of corporate life. Technological innovation drives businesses and vice versa. Businesses produce new technologies while creating avenues for progress and development. Technological evolution seems to speed up exponentially along with its capacity, accessibility, and variety. Versatile smart solution...

Given the rising global interest in the digital technologies, the study aims to investigate the influence of digital transformation on the firm’s organizational performance and sustainable development. A quantitative research was carried out, with data collection based on a questionnaire that has been sent via email to Tunisian companies as an exam...

Technology, in its many forms, has become an inseparable component of daily life. Technological advancements and digitalization are also responsible for a wide range of changes at the workplace. Currently, technology is an integral aspect of corporate life, with a wide range of factors driving and enabling it, including socio-economic structures, e...

Social customer relationship management (CRM) is software that can integrate different social media channels. Using social CRM, employees can leverage social information of existing and potential customers; gain detailed market insights from their likes and dislikes; provide superior customer services; help to communicate product information more e...

Transcending the confined perspective of football being a mere sport or activity, football is, at the very least, a business with massive financial influence. In Cyprus, football is considered a social phenomenon with a notable impact on public life and an essential part of its culture presenting certain traits. However, regardless of its growth, t...

Football clubs strive to remain competitive and sustainable in a multi-faceted industry which involves a plethora of stakeholders. Consequently, it is imperative to comprehend the industry structures, identify the stakeholders, and implement processes to manage every relationship. Although numerous studies have applied stakeholder theory in the spe...

Purpose This study aims to descriptively identify and refine the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the retail banking employee–customer contact context, and prescriptively use this knowledge to develop a framework for improving true customer service without excess organizational cost, in Lebanon. Design/methodology/approach The research adopt...

Purpose The article explores how servitization influences firms' foreign market entry mode decisions. This relationship is researched under the contingent effect of macroenvironmental factors in the host country, namely, market attractiveness, institutional environment and national culture differences between the home and host country. Design/meth...

Purpose The paper aims to examine the nature and scale of the sustainability value of car sharing and to identify, through consumer analysis, the contextual and consumer factors of success of car subscription as a business model. Design/methodology/approach The study evaluates the car sharing model against the sustainable development goals defined...

This study aims at investigating the consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for agri-food products delivered in the farmers markets with electric vehicles (EVs). The empirical analysis has been carried out by administering an online questionnaire to 273 consumers within a hypothetical context. A multiple price list has been provided in order to measur...

Purpose Despite the fact this is already known over how sports spectators interpret sponsorship content, less is known about participants’ sentiments toward sponsors, which are sometimes crucial to the survival of participation sporting events. Various researchers have examined at how spectators recognize or recall sponsors, but very few have explo...

This research delineates the relationship between strategic agility and performance, and proposes openness as a requisite means to fostering agility and enhancing performance. Methodologically, the research follows the pragmatist paradigm through a mixed-method research design, incorporating three separate studies. These comprise a CEO-based survey...

Purpose This study aims to examine the impacts of adopting big data analytics (BDA) on firm sustainability performance (FSP) mediated through firm financial performance (FIP) and operational performance (OPP). Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model is based on ideas from existing literature on BDA, sustainability, FIP, dynamic capability...

Entrepreneurship, across markets and organizational typologies has long attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners alike. Irrevocably associated with SMEs, entrepreneurship has been fueled and facilitated by emergence of digital technology platforms. By adopting digital technology platforms, SME entrepreneurs can establish direct links b...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the antecedents of obesity among the younger generation of Indians (Generation Y) from a psychological and lifestyle consumer perspective. The study also investigates the moderating role of demography on the body mass index (BMI) of Indian youths. Design/methodology/approach The study initially dev...

This study investigates the influence that business ambidexterity of the Indian pharmaceutical industry can exert on exports, after the evolution from producer—often with the support of foreign direct investments (FDIs)—to researcher. The growth rate of the sector has changed pace with the introduction of new rules regarding patents, impelling phar...

Workforce management is an important aspect for any organisation’s operations. All aspects of workforce operations are being influenced by technological innovation including the workforce service quality. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tremendous challenge to workforce operations, as most employees started working from remote locations. This is t...

The purpose of this paper is to theoretically identify the various stakeholders of the football industry and to define and delineate their typology, prioritisation and interrelationships, along with specific attributes; drawing in parallel explicit theoretical and practical conclusions towards scholarly advancement and managerial implementation. Th...

An integral part of socio-technological evolution, social network games (SNGs) are played on various social networking platforms by multiple players who often do not know each other. This phenomenon has intensified globally along with smartphone penetration. SNGs, though sharing characteristics with traditional video games, have distinct functional...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the post-COVID-19 period and to identify the cause–effect relationships amongst those CSFs. Design/methodology/approach The success factors impacting CSR activities are identified based on inputs from 14 experts in the C...

The purpose of this paper is to extend the Resource Based View (RBV) theory of companies, integrating it into a multidisciplinary context of analysis. Authors tested an empirical model in which corporate venture capital (CVC) impacts on corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance with the aim of creating a sustainable competitive advantage. T...

Crises are often the driving force of change, be it technological, social, economic or other. And it is the most adaptive, reflexive, resilient and innovative companies that survive such conditions, in some cases even using them as springboards for development and growth at the product or market levels (Vrontis et al., 2012). And while crises range...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of dynamic capability (DC) of organizations on international expansion and further investigate the moderating role of environmental dynamism in the same context. Design/methodology/approach Based on the dynamic capability view (DCV) theory and related literature on international business s...

A crisis can devastate an organisation. However, it is important to remember that throughout history, crises have been pivotal in developing societies. Following this line of thought, in this chapter, we explore the possibilities that come with crisis, and how they could contribute towards a more sustainable future. It’s about using the lessons ste...

Though the notion of the changes that crises bring about are understood, their mechanism, characteristics, effects and underlying motivators are less so, and vary across the organizational, industry and market typology. Of course, it also depends on the nature of the crisis, its severity, its length, its timeframe, its geographic spread and other f...

Crises present significant challenges for organizations. But, while critical events are inevitable, not every business is sufficiently equipped for when things don’t go according to plan. This book focuses on business under crisis conditions, along with organizational responses and adaptation. Adaptation can be seen as a learning process. It encomp...

From recurring episodes of great depression, oil crises, political crises, wars, debt crises, to the ongoing climate change, there is a constant pressure on businesses to cope with critical events. However, throughout history, crises have been pivotal in advancing businesses and societies. This contributed volume approaches crisis not simply as a s...

Purpose This paper aims to systematically review and evaluate extant literature on knowledge acquisition and transfer in international small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and to identify the requisite types of knowledge acquired and transferred in this context. The research further determines the mechanisms enabling SMEs to process this knowledge, u...

The past few years have witnessed an intensifying effort by hotels to respond to customers’ growing environmental sensitivities. A critical aspect of this market trend is the actual willingness of tourists to pay (WTP) for green products and services offered by green hotels. Previous studies in this research field have mainly focused on the relatio...

In the present digital environment, a data-driven organizational culture has become a vital emerging driver of organizational growth. This data-driven culture has assumed an advanced shape due to adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) integrated business analytics tools in the organization. Data-driven culture in the organization could considerab...